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MacGyver Online Forums > Episodes > 007 - Last Stand


Posted by: MacGyverOnline 2 November 2006 - 01:17 PM
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007 - Last Stand

Airdate: 17 November 1985
Writer: Judy Burns
Director: John Florea

Guest Cast: Harry Caesar as Al Tennyson, Steve Franken as the pilot, Jackie Earle Haley as Turk, Art Hindle as Dave Redding,
Kay Lenz as Kelly Nelson, Michael McGuire as Andrews, Anthony Penya as Elias, Lewis Van Bergen as Buddy.

MacGyver must use his extraordinary skills to free hostages and thwart the armored-car robbers who are holding them at a desert airstrip.

Posted by: Macs Lab Rat 8 November 2006 - 08:14 AM
Votes from 21st feb 2006
Poor [ 0 ] [0.00%]
Average [ 1 ] [50.00%]
OK [ 0 ] [0.00%]
Good [ 1 ] [50.00%]
Excellent [ 0 ] [0.00%]
Total Votes: 2

Archived posts

sonyab Posted on Oct 5 2004, 10:27 AM
QUOTE
OHHHHH Great episode! This is where Mac does the macgyverism with the bicycle.. If anybody doesn't know this an 11 year old girl wrote a letter to the show telling them the macgyverism with the bicycle and they used it. smile.gif There was a man in the van who was about to get blown up by the bomb but Mac saved him from that only to get shot and killed.. What a waste.. sad.gif great episode!! loved it! smile.gif 


rockatteer Posted on Oct 5 2004, 12:13 PM
QUOTE
QUOTE
QUOTE 
If anybody doesn't know this an 11 year old girl wrote a letter to the show telling them the macgyverism with the bicycle and they used it

WOW. I didn't know that. What was she, some kinda chemestry geek or something? laugh.gif



sonyab Posted on Oct 5 2004, 12:20 PM

QUOTE
hahaha I don't know ROFL. 


MacGyver Posted on Oct 5 2004, 04:40 PM

QUOTE
Yes, this was a great episode, filled with many MacGyverisms, as many of the 1st. season episodes were. I especially liked Mac's homemade "bombs" blowup.gif and the whole bit with MacGyver jumping on the airplane and keeping it from taking off. Another great episode, as usual! 


MacGyverGod Posted on Oct 6 2004, 05:21 AM

QUOTE

Indeed one of the better episodes. A good look at a full-morning episode in Mac's life. 
   

MacGyver Gal Posted on Oct 6 2004, 11:11 AM
QUOTE
This was a good episode with lots of good MacGyverisms.

But one thing about this episode puzzles me. hmm.bmp

At the beginning, Mac says that when he was a kid, his father took him to his favorite fishing hole called Sparrow Lake. Then, he says that he is trying to find the lake but, he’s lost. Then, he stops at the café to ask for directions to the lake and that’s when he runs into trouble…

Here’s what I don’t understand.

Mac is driving somewhere in Arizona looking for a lake that he and his dad fished at when he was a kid. Huh???

Mac grew up in Minnesota..the land of 10,000 lakes!!!

Why is he and his dad fishing in Arizona? 

Just wondering… smile.gif



sonyab Posted on Oct 6 2004, 11:23 AM
QUOTE

Hmmm hey good question.. smile.gif Maybe his dad never been to arizona so he wanted to go there with his son for a father and son bonding thing. Thats possible. 


I am MacGyver Posted on Oct 6 2004, 12:06 PM
QUOTE

I'm from minnesota, actually, about a 5 min drive from where RDA grew up. Now, there are so many lakes with in a days drive, he didn't need to go to arizona to go on a bonding trip. He could have gone to the Boundary Waters. But, hey it's TV anything can happen. 


rockatteer Posted on Oct 6 2004, 02:38 PM
QUOTE

Did you notice that the airplane and hanger area are the ones in the starting sequence where Mac leans on the propeller and smiles as his name come up at the bottom of the screen.



sonyab Posted on Oct 6 2004, 02:55 PM
QUOTE


QUOTE
QUOTE (I am MacGyver @ Oct 5 2004, 06:06 PM)
I'm from minnesota, actually, about a 5 min drive from where RDA grew up. Now, there are so many lakes with in a days drive, he didn't need to go to arizona to go on a bonding trip. He could have gone to the Boundary Waters. But, hey it's TV anything can happen.



Well what I'm saying is that that maybe his father never been to Arizona and wanted to visit it with his son. smile.gif And hey that's cool that you lived 5 minutes away from Rick.. It's a small town right? did you ever see or meet him?


MacGyverGod Posted on Oct 7 2004, 12:08 AM
QUOTE
Yup and maybe he just wanted a special lake. 


zhennu Posted on Oct 7 2004, 05:13 PM

QUOTE

I remember this episode. It was one of the first I had seen. I really liked this episode for the MacGyverisms used as well as the humor. xD

At least Mac tried to save a man's life. smile.gif 


MrMacFixIt Posted on Oct 8 2004, 07:57 PM
QUOTE

Yeah, good one. Mac takes five minutes to get the guy out of the van.... then they shot em. ROTFLMAO. Oh, well... can't save um all Mac. 

Posted by: Amy 17 November 2006 - 11:56 AM
I really like this one...Mac just kind of wandering into a bad situation...and making it better! biggrin.gif See that did happen early in the series...he wasn't always on assignment. I like how he talks to the guy (forget his name...) and helps him get past his fears...and we find out....MacGyver's not perfect! Yet. laugh.gif I love the scene where Mac goes to all the trouble to get the guy outta the van and then the guy gets killed anyway. dry.gif

Even tho I really like this one, I just voted good, cuz in my humble opinion the bad guys were just complete oafs. The lateral cranial impact enhancer almost bumped it up to excellent, tho. wink.gif

Posted by: MacGirl 1 April 2007 - 06:02 PM
I have to say, I really liked this one. I love the scene where Mac and Kelly are locked in the freezer together, and Kelly is telling him about her and Dave's problems. She clearly loves Dave and wants to make the relationship work, but is having a very hard time of it. And then Mac says to her, "I'll wish for you, you wish for me." Don't know why, but I think that's one of my favorite scenes of the show... or at least, of the first season.

I also LOVE Mac's "hand grenades." That whole scene where he's chasing the bad guys around and throwing them makes me laugh... until they outmaneuver him.

I liked the "lateral cranial impact enhancer" too. laugh.gif The bad guys were kind of dim bulbs, but that's part of what made it entertaining (for me, anyway).

One of the best lines in this one was spoken by the cook (his name's slipping my mind just now) as he, Kelly, and Dave are hiding, just before Dave makes a break for the chopper. Dave is talking about how he can't fly the chopper, and the cook tells him, "Seems to me this is one of those times when you can go one way or the other, and the rest of your life depends on which way you choose."

Finally, I really liked the part where Mac lets Dave talk about what he went through in Vietnam, and helps him overcome his past and his fears. I notice that one of the ways Mac helps people the most is just letting them talk... about their fears, their regrets, whatever, and helping them come to terms with themselves. It seems to me that this eppy was probably the first in which that side of the character was really emphasized... that he wasn't just a tough guy without a gun, but someone who was genuinely interested in people, and in helping them however he could.

Posted by: Jazz 29 May 2007 - 10:42 AM
There are only a few small problems in this episode. Like how MacGyver extinguishes the thermite torch by jabbing it into the ground to deprive the torch of oxygen. Thermite torches basically come with their own supply, so they don't actually go out if you rub it into the ground. You basically have to wait for quite a few hours before it dies out on its own.


Oh, and the part about getting locked in the freezer. They were trapped there for some time. I think what bugs me about this is that it seemed the freezer wasn't quite as cold as it should have been. I've worked in grocery stores and stocked up the freezer-- you'd be frozen within an hour, probably less.

And getting ice to melt by a lightbulb, well that's even more farfetch'd!



I therefore naturally assume that a half run-down place like that diner didn't quite have the state-of-the-art freezing power a large franchise grocery store would possess.

Posted by: MacGyverOnline 29 May 2007 - 01:25 PM
QUOTE (Jazz @ 30 May 2007 - 07:11 AM)
And getting ice to melt by a lightbulb, well that's even more farfetch'd!

Why is it far fetched? Ice melts from the warmth of your hand, you think the heat from a light bulb wouldn't melt ice?



QUOTE (Jazz @ 30May 2007 - 07:11 AM)
I therefore naturally assume that a half run-down place like that diner didn't quite have the state-of-the-art freezing power a large franchise grocery store would possess.


blink.gif What??

Posted by: Jazz 29 May 2007 - 02:11 PM
Just trust me on this one.

Mac wouldn't've survived the freezer at the grocery store I worked at.
He would've been ice cream within half an hour.

Posted by: Jazz 29 May 2007 - 02:20 PM
I was just musing that in an actual walk-in freezer, the water wouldn't've stayed liquid long enough to get into the freezer lock.


Hey, I'm just musing here, really. I could be totally and completely wrong.

Posted by: MacGyverOnline 29 May 2007 - 02:28 PM
Good point.

The thing about the Thermite torch is already listed in our http://www.macgyveronline.com/pages/nitpic.html



While MacGyverisms are based on scientific principles, most MacGyverisms where greatly exaggerated for entertainment purposes. The writers freely acknowledge that many MacGyverisms would require very exact conditions if they where to actually work as shown in the episodes.

The writers where always careful to leave out key ingredients of any MacGyverisms which created an explosive or otherwise harmful effect, to ensure that it could not be re-created by viewers

Posted by: Jazz 29 May 2007 - 02:46 PM
You make a great many good points. I forgot that you had that on your nitpicks page. All I remember is that I was giddy as a school-girl when I saw him making a thermite torch, considering I was already familiar with the method.

Kind-of an exciting thing to see something you know be performed by MacGyver.

Makes me feel smart cool.jpg

Posted by: MacNymph 29 May 2007 - 02:47 PM
QUOTE (Jazz @ 30 May 2007 - 11:15 AM)
Makes me feel smart cool.jpg

You'll get over it. laugh.gif

Posted by: MacGyver 17 August 2007 - 03:57 PM
There's also some great music in "Last Stand", particularly when MacGyver's first driving up to the town.

Posted by: MacNancy 18 August 2007 - 11:43 AM
Hi! word1.png

Just popped in to give my comments on this episode. I voted Good! I too really liked the way Mac was able to help Dave overcome his fears and let him talk about all the horrible things that happened to him when he was captured in Vietnam. You could see how bad Mac felt for him, never having gone through anything like that himself. But it was good that Mac was able to get Dave to help them out. I too liked what Mac said to Kelley about wishing for her. That was nice. smile.gif That's what I like about Mac too. He was always really sympathetic toward people, always trying to help them overcome bad situations.

I liked that "lateral cranial impact enhancer" too. That was priceless! LOL That guy Turk(?) was a real jerk. For that matter, they all were. LOL That other guy with the machine gun, can't remember his name, reminded me of something out of one of those Sylvester Stallone war movies. He was definitely playing it over the top. A real "tough guy." LOL Mac ended up beating him in the end.

I too thought that was sad when they shot that guy in the van, after Mac had spent so much time trying to get him out. That was pretty bad! mad.gif

I saw where someone said that an 11 year old girl sent in that idea to the show for Mac to make that torch out of that bicycle. That was interesting. I didn't know that either. Wow that girl must have been really smart! WAAAY smarter than me! ;-) That would be ironic if that young girl turned out to be Amanda Tapping. She really read up on all that technotalk she did on Stargate so she would know what she was talking about. How cool is that!

All in all, I really liked this episode. They really had a lot of MacGyverisms in this show. And I agree about the ice melting by using the lightbulb. That was a pretty big chunk of ice, but it would still melt if it was near a really hot lightbulb. Not very fast, but it would melt all the same.

I have to agree about that freezer Mac and Kelly were in. It was obvious that it was cold enough to see your breath, but not cold enough to freeze them to death. I was in a meat locker one time, and it was REALLY COLD! You didn't want to be locked in that! BRRRR. So it was obvious that the freezer that Mac and Kelly were in, wasn't that cold. But I was glad that Mac was able to get them out. :-)

Btw I too read where they always left out certain things that Mac did, so people wouldn't get hurt trying to recreate the things on MacGyver. But everything Mac did to get out of tight situations looked really good! He was one smart guy! :-)

Thanks for posting a link to this episode. No matter how bad the situation is, Mac always comes through! :-)

Take Care,
Nancy

Posted by: Beachbead 24 April 2009 - 05:44 AM
Lots of MacGyverisms in this one really loved it.

Posted by: MacGyverOnline 17 September 2009 - 01:40 PM
Anyone know the tune Buddy (the terminator wannabe) keeps whistling in this episode?

Posted by: Dennman 12 March 2010 - 12:10 PM
Love this episode- especially when he says "C'mon guys that's just bad taste! Show some class for a change."

Posted by: MacDriver 24 April 2010 - 11:29 AM
So what exactly was Dave saying had happened to him, when to paraphrase what I remember, he said "I dug my own grave, then knelt at the edge, and when they were done..." to paraphrase. I was sorta confused at what he was suggesting there. You could get some pretty terrible things out of that if you wanted, and after reading about Abu Ghraib and similar things, nothing is beyond my imagination. Just wanted to see if there was a point he was making, if anyone got it since I didn't.

Posted by: MacGyverOnline 24 April 2010 - 02:11 PM
He was explaining why he "couldn't" fly; Because of the trauma he had been through as a POW. They made home dig his own grave and made him think he was about to be die like the others he had just been digging graves for.

I think the whole point of the scene was to tell us that Dave had Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and that scene explained why.


Posted by: MacDriver 24 April 2010 - 09:07 PM
QUOTE (Rockatteer @ 25 April 2010 - 10:11 AM)
He was explaining why he "couldn't" fly; Because of the trauma he had been through as a POW. They made home dig his own grave and made him think he was about to be die like the others he had just been digging graves for.

I think the whole point of the scene was to tell us that Dave had Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and that scene explained why.

Oh yeah, he said they laughed, like they enjoyed his face as he thought he was about to die but they let him live. I see, thanks for clarifying that. I wonder is PTSD was even classified yet at the time. If it wasn't, MacGyver was ahead of his time yet again tongue.gif Rather than saying "suck it up" he understood. Thanks for that Rocky smile.gif

Posted by: MacGyverOnline 25 April 2010 - 01:15 AM
It's been a recognized condition since the early 70's so yeah it was around.

Do you remember that song by Paul Hardcastle called "19" about the average age of solders going of to the Vietnam war being 19? There's a line in that song about PTSD, and that song was released in 1985.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3LdMAqUMnM&a=-z80pzHmKz8&


Posted by: Macdildis 7 December 2011 - 06:46 PM
this is by far one of my favorite early episodes, I just can't forget that little tune the rambo wanna-be guy kept whistling! also my favorite line in the episode: "Lateral cranial impact enhancer" *Smack* That makes me LOL every time I see it biggrin.gif also, I think the heat from the lightbulb might have been sufficient to melt the ice but the problem would be that it would freeze again before it made it all the way down to the lock.

Posted by: Macdildis 7 December 2011 - 06:55 PM
Another thing I noticed, the part where "Rambo" and the other guy are looking for MacGyver the boss guy (Sorry I am horrible with names lol) yells to them as they're coming out the door "keep looking they're not invisible" then "Rambo" says "I'll find them myself" but it looks like it was dubbed over because if you read his lips he says another word I can't quite make out, but it's not "myself". kind of interesting, I replayed that scene a few times and i'm a fairly good lip reader but I can't make out what he really said. hmm.bmp

Posted by: cirubit 9 December 2011 - 01:55 AM
For me this is the best episode of the first season!
It's the classic MAC's situation: hostages , very bad guys, a lot of Mac Gyverism, sense of humor...and I love this kind of adventures in the show! w00t.gif

Posted by: NightTinkerer 31 July 2012 - 02:29 PM
This is definitely the darkest episode of MacGyver so far. Albeit a little on the dumb side, these guys are serious, and you can really sense the fear in that restaurant, from the very beginning.

Mac does indeed have a way of making people open up, and find their inner strength. It was very heartwarming to listen to his conversations with the couple, and making them both realize that they have so much left to give--and live for.

I also love the way he admits he isn't perfect--yet. wink.gif

What really shocked me was when they killed that security guard. I wouldn't call it an unnecessary death, considering that this is one of the darker episodes, but you could feel Mac's sadness and frustration, he'd been working so hard to try and save him... His frightened eyes through the glass window of the van... and then he got shot as soon as he got out. sad.gif

There was one really cheesy moment though--when the guys are looking for Mac after they realize he's escaped from the freezer, and one of them goes around calling "MacGyyyver... vhere aaarrr yooo?" That totally cracked me up. laugh.gif

However, this won't stop me from giving the episode an "excellent" rating. smile.gif

Posted by: cirubit 31 July 2012 - 02:59 PM
This episode is my favourite of first season. duct.gif

Posted by: KiwiTek 31 July 2012 - 11:15 PM
I agree, this is one of the more edger episodes. I think all of season one had a bit more of an edge to it in general. They seemed to take things more serious which I guess comes from it being the first season and they were trying to capture an audience and make good on it.


Posted by: Traveller 1 August 2012 - 05:58 AM
QUOTE
I agree, this is one of the more edger episodes. I think all of season one had a bit more of an edge to it in general.

That's one of the reasons I dislike Jack Dalton. From the moment they introduced him, he took away the edge that I liked about 'MacGyver'. As fine an actor as Bruce McGill may be, I truly wish he would never have been in the show. There are some episodes with Dalton in it that I eventually managed to find tolerable at best, and he c a n be funny, but for the most part the episodes he's in are só childish that I think I am watching a kids show. And by the looks and feel of the first season, that's not how 'MacGyver' started out.

Posted by: NightTinkerer 1 August 2012 - 10:13 AM
QUOTE (Traveller @ 1 August 2012 - 04:01 PM)
QUOTE
I agree, this is one of the more edger episodes. I think all of season one had a bit more of an edge to it in general.

That's one of the reasons I dislike Jack Dalton. From the moment they introduced him, he took away the edge that I liked about 'MacGyver'. As fine an actor as Bruce McGill may be, I truly wish he would never have been in the show. There are some episodes with Dalton in it that I eventually managed to find tolerable at best, and he c a n be funny, but for the most part the episodes he's in are só childish that I think I am watching a kids show. And by the looks and feel of the first season, that's not how 'MacGyver' started out.

Well, personally I don't mind Dalton *that* much--though I do agree that things got a bit repetative (and sometimes downright cheesy) when Mac would let himself be persuaded to join him over and over again, on some crazy and ill-planned adventure.

Penny Parker on the other hand... Gahhh, sorry, but I just can't stand her. If anyone took away the edge from the show, in my opinion, that would be her.

I'll elaborate more later, in the appropriate episode discussion threads.

Posted by: Traveller 1 August 2012 - 10:39 AM
I'll follow you over there, then. But be warned (now I sound like Murdoc): I have a soft spot for Penny. Moreover, she happens to be in some of my favorite episodes. smile.gif

Posted by: MacGyverisms 26 February 2013 - 06:33 PM
This is definitely the darkest episode of MacGyver so far. And a little bit on the dumb side as well. The bad guys are somewhat serious and little dumb and funny as well. And you can really sense the fear in the restaurant from the very beginning. Mac does indeed have a way of getting people to open up and find their inner strength. The conversation between Mac and Dave is probably one of my favorite parts of the whole episode. I was really surprised when they shot that security guard, I wouldn't call it an unnecessary death, because this is one of the more intense, darker episodes. And you could feel Mac's sadness and frustration because he had worked so had worked so hard to get that guard out, and it was all for nothing. The thermite torch MacGyverism was very cool. I like the "lateral...cranial...impact...enhancer", that was priceless. I also like the moment when the bad guys are looking around for Mac and they're like "MacGyver, were are you"? roller.gif That cracks me up every time. An "Excellent" episode. Always a favorite. One of my favorite episodes from Season 1.

Overall Rating: 9.5/10 duct.gif macsak.gif

Posted by: AussieMacFan 26 February 2013 - 09:58 PM
QUOTE (NightTinkerer @ 2 August 2012 - 05:13 AM)
QUOTE (Traveller @ 1 August 2012 - 04:01 PM)
QUOTE
I agree, this is one of the more edger episodes. I think all of season one had a bit more of an edge to it in general.

That's one of the reasons I dislike Jack Dalton. From the moment they introduced him, he took away the edge that I liked about 'MacGyver'. As fine an actor as Bruce McGill may be, I truly wish he would never have been in the show. There are some episodes with Dalton in it that I eventually managed to find tolerable at best, and he c a n be funny, but for the most part the episodes he's in are só childish that I think I am watching a kids show. And by the looks and feel of the first season, that's not how 'MacGyver' started out.

Well, personally I don't mind Dalton *that* much--though I do agree that things got a bit repetative (and sometimes downright cheesy) when Mac would let himself be persuaded to join him over and over again, on some crazy and ill-planned adventure.

Penny Parker on the other hand... Gahhh, sorry, but I just can't stand her. If anyone took away the edge from the show, in my opinion, that would be her.

I'll elaborate more later, in the appropriate episode discussion threads.

I like Penny and Jack.




Good episode, one of my favourites! clip.JPG

Posted by: MacManx 27 March 2013 - 12:08 PM
Really I excellent epi for the first season (many poor special effects and bad acting (never by RDA))

love the ism with the bike. I have a magnesium firesarter for camping, and it is real cool how the metal shavings catch fire.

Many episodes have total strangers that just gush "Mac save us" the way Kelly asks for help is very believable and they don't just have this amazing faith in a stranger.

It is awful that the guard dies, but in the end you see it is Mac's comment to Dave that he is determined to stop these guys because they killed someone. And I think that helps to get Dave in the helicopter. So the death serves as a catylist for pushing Dave past his trama. Plus it is burying the guard that gets Dave to open up to Mac.

The escape from the freezer is great. Although I know the water would have froze before it reached the lock. And did you notice that the size and shape of the "ice" never changed.

I am disappointed that Sparrow Lake was not in Minn. I really don't think his dad would have taken him to AZ from MN when Mac was young and Mac made a comment like they where there a few times.

Posted by: KiwiTek 27 March 2013 - 02:03 PM
I like the line where Kelly tells Dave that it's not that he can't fly it's that he won't fly and that's different.

It's a nice nod towards how we let fears and emotions stop us from doing things and even use them as excuses to not try.




Posted by: MacGyverGod 27 March 2013 - 03:02 PM
QUOTE (KiwiTek @ 27 March 2013 - 11:03 PM)
I like the line where Kelly tells Dave that it's not that he can't fly it's that he won't fly and that's different.

It's a nice nod towards how we let fears and emotions stop us from doing things and even use them as excuses to not try.

I really like that phrase too.

Posted by: Scwilson 4 August 2013 - 09:25 PM
macsak.gif the bike and home made bombs were cool. This is one of the best from the season.

Posted by: MiracleMac 31 May 2014 - 11:20 PM
I liked the scene where bad guy was sitting on oil barriel and then Mac starts preaching some unknown for him....then silence....aaand hits with medal part straight to the nose laugh.gif

Posted by: Widowmaker 20 July 2016 - 02:07 PM
Wasn't too big on this episode, mostly because of the MacGyverisms. The bike torch was OK, though it turned out to be futile since it was meant as an alternative to blowing up the armored truck guard. The others were merely explosives meant to distract the villains. I hate MacGyverisms that look like they're going to do something cool and then turn out to be noise-makers that cause the dumb villains to run outside and stare for five minutes. The explosive on the RC plane was pointless since the plane was already a distraction by itself. At the very least, MacGyver should have crashed the toy plane into the real plane and damaged it with the explosive.

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